Quiz: Howstuffworks

Can You Figure Out This Military Job from a One Sentence Description?

Torrance Grey

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About This Quiz

Since the beginning of the War on Terror, in Iraq and Afghanistan, many of us tend to look at military service as just that -- service, a gift given to one's country. We see it as something you'd do briefly, probably in one's youth, before going home and entering college or civilian work. However, military service is also a job. Or many jobs, with training programs and paygrades and the like. It wasn't so long ago that many people based the rest of their careers on a skill they learned in the Army or Navy.

There are five branches of the armed services in the United States, and each one offers different opportunities for learning and career advancement, (although there is a lot of overlap). If you've got a yearning to be a pilot, of course you'd think of the Air Force. But the Navy has a proud tradition of putting fighter jets in the air; just think of the famous Blue Angels. And Army pilots fly that branch's helicopter gunships, like the Kiowa and the Apache. Interested in computers? Cyberwarfare and information management are extremely important in the 21st century. There are glamour jobs, if you make the grade, like being an Army Ranger or Navy SEAL. On the other hand, the backbone of the military are the majority of people in unglamorous jobs, from air traffic controllers to mess cooks.

How well do you know the jobs of the armed services? Find out now with our quiz!

This job might have you landing behind enemy lines.

artillery officer

ordnance specialist

paratrooper

tail gunner

Paratroopers were important to the Normandy campaign in WWII. They parachuted into German-held territory the night before the D-Day offensive to aid the French resistance.

Their "Team Six" is famous.

Army Rangers

Air Force pararescue

Navy SEALs

Navy fighter pilots

SEAL Team Six went on the mission to kill Osama bin Laden. If you want to be a Navy SEAL -- Team Six or otherwise -- you'll have to be in superior physical condition and not scare easily.

You'll spend a lot of time underwater.

machinery management specialist

postal clerk

signalman

sonar technician

The word "sonar" compacts the phrase "sound navigation ranging." It locates items underwater using sound waves, and is often done from a submarine.

You provide aid to the sick and injured.

corpsman

damage control specialist

engineman

lithographer

"Corpsman" is essentially the military term for "medic." It's an enlisted-level job; physicians and surgeons have higher ranks.

You'll tend to the troops' more intangible needs.

chaplain

mess cook

photographer's mate

public affairs officer

We might have said "spiritual needs," if that weren't a dead giveaway. FYI: If you think we're making up the term "photographer's mate," not so! This essential means "photographer," but in Navy-speak, the word "mate" is usually attached to enlisted (non-officer) positions.

You might have been inspired to seek this job by "Top Gun." (Best not to admit that at induction).

Navy diver

military police officer

naval aviator

Coast Guard rescue swimmer

The Navy's fighter pilots usually fly from aircraft carriers. The Navy actually saw a bump in recruitments after the release of "Top Gun," in which Tom Cruise played reckless pilot "Maverick."

The TV series "JAG" was about people like you.

artillery officer

journalist

lawyer

coroner

"JAG" stands for "Judge Advocate General (Corps)," the legal branch of the Army or Navy. The Air Force and Marines have versions of this, too.

Not sure which military job you should have? You need one of these.

advocate

intelligence specialist

personnelman

warrant officer

Personnelmen are like guidance counselors and HR specialists in one. They also provide advice on health and retirement benefits.

If you take this job, you'll have to work at never "breaking character."

drill instructor

artillery officer

rescue swimmer

sniper

To be a drill instructor requires a bit of acting skill as well as military acumen. That is, it's probably hard not to crack a smile at times, or so show sympathy for the raw recruits under one's training -- but staying in character is important to the job.

You've got to have a little hacker in you to do this well.

corpsman

information systems technician

intelligence analyst

nurse

This is usually called "IT" in the civilian world. Information systems technicians run computer mainframes, telecommunications systems and more.

Cuba Gooding Jr. played one in "Men of Honor."

intelligence analyst

drill instructor

Army Ranger

Navy diver

This job is not a combat position, but physically and mentally demanding nonetheless. Gooding played Carl Brashear, the first African-American Navy diver.

If you're fascinated by weapons, this Navy job might be for you.

chaplain

gunner's mate

drill instructor

operations specialist

A gunner's mate maintains ordnance and magazines. They also operate the Navy's missile launching systems.

If you want to see foreign countries, and tact is your strong point, this job is for you.

attache

chaplain

mess cook

naval aviator

The term "attache" is best defined as "military diplomat." They are stationed at embassies, and have to be reasonably proficient in a foreign language.

Despite the name, it's probably not a great thing to be sloppy in this job.

damage controlman

door gunner

mess cook

commando

Nowadays, you'll more often see the term "culinary specialist" than "mess cook." But the latter is the longtime, fondly used term.

In this job, you'll be the eyes and ears of a commanding officer.

artillery officer

cavalry scout

air traffic controller

gunner's mate

"Cavalry" is an old-fashioned term, coming from the days when the army used horses. But there's still a Cavalry division in the Army (though made up of motor vehicles), and still a need for the cavalry scout.

Ashton Kutcher played one of these adrenalin junkies in "The Guardian."

Coast Guard rescue swimmer

helicopter pilot

ordnance disposal specialist

pararescue jumper

You want to say to their faces that there are no hardcore jobs in the Coast Guard? This job can require jumping from helicopters into churning waters to make a rescue.

This job didn't exist until a few decades ago.

drone pilot

pararescue jumper

sniper

warrant officer

When we say "a few decades," we're talking about true UAVs, or unmanned aerial vehicles. They really began to play a role in military work in the 1980s, and pilots operate them and view their surveillance footage from operations centers.

You keep the Navy afloat!

mess cook

hull technician

gunner's mate

torpedoman's mate

Hull technicians in the Navy do a lot of metalwork, keeping the ship's body in seaworthy condition. They also do a good bit of plumbing work -- flushable toilets are nearly as important as a waterproof hull!

This Air Force job involves rescue and medical aid under tense conditions.

bombardier

avionics mechanic

pararescue service

intelligence officer

This job is what the name implies: a cross between paratroopers and medics. The development of a highly controllable parachute in the mid-20th century made this job possible (it's hard to be helpful if you land three-quarters of a mile away from the patient).

This job is closely related to espionage.

information systems specialist

intelligence specialist

gunner's mate

Navy SEAL

"Espionage" has fallen out of use, because it has the negative connotation of sneakiness. Intelligence work, though it contains elements of spying, is much more than that: monitoring online "chatter," preparing briefings, and so on.

To do this job, you couldn't have a fear of heights!

door gunner

military police officer

mess cook

warrant officer

This is one of the ultimate adrenalin junkie jobs: sitting in the open door of a helicopter and firing at targets on the ground. This job came of age in the Vietnam War, where it was, suffice it to say, not a popular assignment.

They lead the way!

Army Ranger

Navy SEAL

cryptanalyst

torpedoman's mate

Theodore Roosevelt is credited with coining the Rangers' slogan, "Rangers lead the way." In his case, he was saying it in the sense of "Rangers, lead the way!"

This job can be found in the Navy or Coast Guard.

aviation maintenance specialist

boatswain's mate

culinary specialist

cryptanalyst

Boatswain's mates are the utility infielders of these armed services. They are proficient at navigation, maintenance, crewing and other maritime work.

"One shot, one kill" is their slogan.

cryptanalyst

nurse

loadmaster

sniper

The current holder of the distance record for a sniper kill is an unnamed Canadian special forces soldier. He made his shot from a distance of 3,871 yards. That's more than two miles.

This job is needed in all branches of the military.

boatswain's mate

dental technician

mineman

torpedoman's mate

Want to scold a general or admiral and get away with it? Be a dental technician and get after them for not flossing enough!

This job's name might take you back to WWII.

bombardier

drone pilot

military police officer

warrant officer

"Bombardier" is still the correct term, though it sounds old-fashioned. These aircrew members are responsible for aiming bombs at ground targets.

If you choose this job, don't forget to wear your cargo pants!

cryptographer

loadmaster

military policeman

signalman

This job involves the loading and unloading of aircraft, but is far from a heavy-lifting grunt job. Loadmasters must make sure the plane can fly safely in terms of weight and load placement, plan to have the battle-essential equipment ready for quick unloading, and even plan airdrops.

In the Army, you might work for "Stars & Stripes."

chaplain

journalist

mess cook

military police officer

"Stars & Stripes" is the Army's newspaper. Famous former writers and editors include Andy Rooney of "60 Minutes" and cartoonist Bill Mauldin.

This job is closely related to journalism.

cryptanalyst

military police officer

public affairs specialist

health services technician

All the branches of the military have a public affairs department. The public affairs specialists coordinate with the media, getting reporters embedded with troops, granting (or denying) interview requests, and so on.

They make territory safe on walk on again.

battle surgeons

explosive ordnance disposal technicians

drill instructors

yeomen

Honestly, we'd need frequent changes in underwear to do this job. But that's just us!

Women, like Joan Clarke, have traditionally done well in this job.

cryptanalyst

military police officer

naval aviator

commando

Clarke was part of the Enigma team at Bletchley Park. Cryptanalysts are code-breakers, or, increasingly, people who run the computers that break the codes.

This is like a Navy SEAL or an Army Ranger, but is a more general term.

commando

gunner

paratrooper

warrant officer

Commandos are elite soldiers, but they often work in front-line situations along with infantry. In other words, commandos don't necessarily do the kind of hostage-rescue or covert missions that other elite units might.

Pick up the baton and take on this traditional job.

band conductor

artillery officer

information systems specialist

warrant officer

Music might seem like a pretty non-essential part of military life, but it has a long tradition. Fife players accompanied troops on the march in the Revolutionary and Civil Wars. Nowadays, you might get the chance to show off your skills at the annual Army-Navy game.

You'll use your skills to help the troops overcome rough terrain and stay mobile.

combat engineer

Navy diver

rescue swimmer

avionics mechanic

Engineering has always been key to the success of the U.S. Army. West Point was founded chiefly as an engineering school, and a number of its cadets still major in that field.

To do this job, you'll have to get comfortable with cannons and rockets.

artillery officer

drone pilot

nose gunner

warrant officer

Artillery is the name for projectile weapons that aren't launched from aircraft. Artillery is one of the major branches of the U.S. Army, like Infantry and Intelligence.

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